20 U.S. Code § 951 - Declaration of findings and purposes

(1)The arts and the humanities belong to all the people of the United States.

(2)The encouragement and support of national progress and scholarship in the humanities and the arts, while primarily a matter for private and local initiative, are also appropriate matters of concern to the Federal Government.

(3)An advanced civilization must not limit its efforts to science and technology alone, but must give full value and support to the other great branches of scholarly and cultural activity in order to achieve a better understanding of the past, a better analysis of the present, and a better view of the future.

(4)Democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens. It must therefore foster and support a form of education, and access to the arts and the humanities, designed to make people of all backgrounds and wherever located masters of their technology and not its unthinking servants.

(5)It is necessary and appropriate for the Federal Government to complement, assist, and add to programs for the advancement of the humanities and the arts by local, State, regional, and private agencies and their organizations. In doing so, the Government must be sensitive to the nature of public sponsorship. Public funding of the arts and humanities is subject to the conditions that traditionally govern the use of public money. Such funding should contribute to public support and confidence in the use of taxpayer funds. Public funds provided by the Federal Government must ultimately serve public purposes the Congress defines.

(6)The arts and the humanities reflect the high place accorded by the American people to the nation’s rich cultural heritage and to the fostering of mutual respect for the diverse beliefs and values of all persons and groups.

(7)The practice of art and the study of the humanities require constant dedication and devotion. While no government can call a great artist or scholar into existence, it is necessary and appropriate for the Federal Government to help create and sustain not only a climate encouraging freedom of thought, imagination, and inquiry but also the material conditions facilitating the release of this creative talent.

(8)The world leadership which has come to the United States cannot rest solely upon superior power, wealth, and technology, but must be solidly founded upon worldwide respect and admiration for the Nation’s high qualities as a leader in the realm of ideas and of the spirit.

(9)Americans should receive in school, background and preparation in the arts and humanities to enable them to recognize and appreciate the aesthetic dimensions of our lives, the diversity of excellence that comprises our cultural heritage, and artistic and scholarly expression.

(10)It is vital to a democracy to honor and preserve its multicultural artistic heritage as well as support new ideas, and therefore it is essential to provide financial assistance to its artists and the organizations that support their work.

(11)To fulfill its educational mission, achieve an orderly continuation of free society, and provide models of excellence to the American people, the Federal Government must transmit the achievement and values of civilization from the past via the present to the future, and make widely available the greatest achievements of art.

(12)In order to implement these findings and purposes, it is desirable to establish a National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities.

“(a) General Effective Date.—Except as provided in subsection (b), this Act [probably means section, see Short Title of 1990 Amendment note below] and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 1990.

“(b) Special Effective Date.—The amendments made by sections
110,
204, and
301 [amending sections
960,
967, and
974 of this title] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 5, 1990] or October 1, 1990, whichever is earlier.”

Effective Date of 1973 Amendment

Pub. L. 93–133, § 2(b),Oct. 19, 1973, 87 Stat. 465, provided that: “The amendments made by subsection (a) [amending this section and sections
952 and
954 to
960 of this title and repealing sections
962 and
963 of this title] shall be effective on and after July 1, 1973.”

Short Title of 1990 Amendment

Pub. L. 101–512, title III, § 318,Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1960, provided that: “This section [enacting sections
954a and
969 of this title, amending this section, sections
952,
954,
955,
956,
958,
959,
960,
963,
964,
965,
967, and
974 of this title, and section
5315 of Title
5, Government Organization and Employees, and enacting notes under this section and section
954 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Arts, Humanities, and Museums Amendments of 1990’.”

Short Title of 1985 Amendment

Pub. L. 99–194, § 1,Dec. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 1332, provided that: “This Act [enacting section
177 of title
2, The Congress, amending this section and sections
952 to
955,
956,
957,
958 to
960,
963,
964,
967,
971,
972, and
974 of this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under sections
954 and
972 of this title, and amending provisions set out as a note under this section] may be cited as the ‘Arts, Humanities, and Museums Amendments of 1985’.”

Short Title of 1984 Amendment

Pub. L. 98–306, § 1,May 31, 1984, 98 Stat. 223, provided that: “This Act [enacting section
955b of this title and section
310 of Title
25, Indians, amending this section and sections
952 to
955,
956,
957,
958 to
960,
962,
963,
964, and
967 of this title, amending provisions set out as a note under this section and repealing provisions set out as notes under sections
960 and
967 of this title] may be cited as the ‘National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act Amendments of 1983’.”

Pub. L. 94–462, § 1,Oct. 8, 1976, 90 Stat. 1971, provided: “That this Act [enacting sections
961 to
968 of this title, amending sections
954,
955,
956,
957,
958,
960, and
1867 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections
956,
960, and
961 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Arts, Humanities, and Cultural Affairs Act of 1976’.”

Short Title of 1973 Amendment

Pub. L. 93–133, § 1,Oct. 19, 1973, 87 Stat. 461, provided: “That this Act [amending this section and sections
351a,
952,
954,
955,
956,
957, and
958 to
960 of this title, repealing sections
962 and
963 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section
351a of this title] may be cited as the ‘National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Amendments of 1973’.”

Short Title of 1970 Amendment

Pub. L. 91–346, § 1,July 20, 1970, 84 Stat. 443, provided: “That this Act [amending this section and sections
952,
954,
955,
956,
957, and
958 to
960 of this title, repealing sections
781 to
788 and
790 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under section
955 of this title and section
781 of this title] may be cited as ‘The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Amendments of 1970’.”

Short Title

Pub. L. 89–209, § 1,Sept. 29, 1965, 79 Stat. 845, as renumbered title I, § 1, and amended by Pub. L. 98–306, § 2,May 31, 1984, 98 Stat. 223; renumbered § 1 and amended by Pub. L. 99–194, title I, § 101,Dec. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 1332, provided that: “This Act [enacting this subchapter, amending sections
784 to
786 of this title, repealing section
789 of this title, and enacting provisions formerly set out as a note under section
785 of this title] may be cited as the ‘National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965’.”

Sense of Congress Regarding Purchase of American-Made Equipment and Products

“It is the sense of the Congress that a recipient (including a nation, individual, group, or organization) of any form of subsidy, aid, or other Federal assistance under the Acts amended by this Act [probably means this section, see Short Title of 1990 Amendment note above] should, in expending that assistance, purchase American-made equipment and products.

“Any entity that provides a form of subsidy, aid, or other Federal assistance under the Acts amended by this Act shall provide to each recipient of such form of subsidy, aid, or other Federal assistance a notice describing the sense of the Congress stated under section
401.”

1979 White House Conference on the Arts

Pub. L. 95–272, title I, §§ 101–109,May 3, 1978, 92 Stat. 222–224, called for a White House Conference on the Arts to be held no later than Dec. 31, 1979, to help develop a climate in which the arts can flourish and to formulate recommendations relating to the appropriate growth of the arts in all parts of the Nation, established a National Conference Planning Council on the Arts to provide guidance and planning for the Conference, directed the Council to submit a report of the Conference to the President and to the Congress no later than 180 days following the date on which the Conference was called, and provided the Council cease to exist 180 days, unless extended by the President, but in no event to exceed one year, after submission of the report.

1979 White House Conference on the Humanities

Pub. L. 95–272, title II, §§ 201–209,May 3, 1978, 92 Stat. 224–226, called for a White House Conference on the Humanities to be held no later than Dec. 31, 1979, to help develop a climate in which the humanities can flourish and to formulate recommendations relating to the appropriate growth of the humanities in all parts of the Nation, established a National Planning Council on the Humanities to provide guidance and planning for the Conference, directed the Council to submit a report of the Conference to the President and to the Congress no later than 180 days following the date on which the Conference was called, and provided the Council cease to exist 180 days, unless extended by the President, but in no event to exceed one year, after submission of the report.

Executive Order No. 12275

Ex. Ord. No. 12275, Jan. 16, 1981, 46 F.R. 5857, which established the Design Liaison Council and provided for its membership, functions, etc., was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 12379, § 10, Aug. 17, 1982, 47 F.R. 36099, set out as a note under section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.